Words: Peter Macia

Illustrations: David Rathman

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a thin, gear-hanging wire of asphalt in the Parc Jean-Drapeau. Outside the last of its harrowing chicanes is a barrier known as the “Wall of Champions,” which often becomes a tableau vivant of top drivers’ car parts. In the summer of 2013, Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing not only survived the track, he mastered it. The brash 26-year-old German’s precise curves and offensive throttling made him a blur to his competitors, winning the Formula One race by an eye-watering 14 seconds. It also sent rival pit crews into grumbling, conspiratorial rants.

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The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a thin, gear-hanging wire of asphalt in the Parc Jean-Drapeau. Outside the last of its harrowing chicanes is a barrier known as the “Wall of Champions,” which often becomes a tableau vivant of top drivers’ car parts. In the summer of 2013, Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing not only survived the track, he mastered it. The brash 26-year-old German’s precise curves and offensive throttling made him a blur to his competitors, winning the Formula One race by an eye-watering fourteen seconds. It also sent rival pit crews into grumbling, conspiratorial rants.